New NHL Ad: Mike Richards

Fresh off Tuesday night's big Eastern Conference series win over the Montreal Canadiens, the NHL has already put together its latest "History Will Be Made" commercial, thanks to Flyers captain Mike Richards' shorthanded goal in the clincher:

Flyers post-game quotes after winning Eastern Conference Finals

Q. Everybody's going to want to know why you touched the trophy? MIKE RICHARDS: Um, it was actually a little bit of a debate on the ice. I don't know if you'd seen, but I thought a little about it last night, and my first instinct was to grab it. Obviously, took us a lot to get here, and obviously not the trophy that we want; but we haven't done anything conventional all year, especially in these Playoffs, so might as well go against the grain one more time.

Q. Mr. Snider was saying afterwards, he believes you guys are a team of destiny. He thought that after you guys beat Boston. Do you buy into that at all? MIKE RICHARDS: I don't know. It's tough to say right now. We have a great team. We have a lot of belief in our team. When the chips have been down, it seems like we get better; and obviously, we play well as a team. So we're fully confident. I don't want to say destined or anything, but we have a great team. We feel we have a good chance, obviously; and we're going to lay it all out there.

Q. You and Mike came to this organization together. You've combined for that last goal. What was that emotion like being on the ice to score a goal like that together? JEFF CARTER: Oh, it's great. You know, we've been here for five years now. Lot of ups and downs. MIKE RICHARDS: By you guys (laughing).

Q. It's all us. JEFF CARTER: Always. This is what we've worked for. We've worked for this for five years. It's come a long time, but it was nice to put the last one in. Obviously, a great effort by Richie just to get down there and give us a chance; but definitely a good feeling when we heard the crowd erupt.

Q. Blocked shots have been crucial to this team's success all through the Playoffs, even up to killing a 4 minute double minor. Can you talk about the unselfishness of the players in this locker room on this team? MIKE RICHARDS: I think that goes without saying. A perfect example is Lappy, and Bettsie kind of goes unnoticed with that, but he's the same way, Powsie, and the system that Pete has put in, I think everybody's bought in; and blocking shots is something that I think we put a big emphasis on before any game, especially on the PK. Our defense does a great job; everybody's bought into the system. You put your body on the line, whether it's finishing hits, blocking shots, and we've done a great job of that so far in this Playoffs, and I think it's shown with the victories.

Q. Could you describe the shorthanded goal, and when, exactly, you realized it was going to be like a three car pileup? MIKE RICHARDS: Well, I was actually going to go off, and then the puck just took a soft bounce, and I thought I could get there. I seen Halak kind of hesitate a little bit to come out. I just tried to poke it by him, got up, and the puck was actually just sitting there ready for him to take. So I just wanted to avoid the goalie stick that was laying there and I just put it in.

Q. When Brian Boucher got hurt and Michael Leighton came in, was there any change in the mindset, that this is a rallying cry that this is one more thing to overcome that changed the team that got you guys on this roll? JEFF CARTER: You're doing a great job, man, keep going. MIKE RICHARDS: Thanks. I'm in the groove right now. I think all year the adversity that we faced with Razor going down and then Leights went down, and then Bouch went down; it was just one after another. That maybe set something up a little bit, or we learned from what we can do from before with different people stepping in, and it's happened all year with injuries, different people stepping up. Jimmy McCrossin's done a great job of keeping people in shape and getting people back healthy. We just feel comfortable, I think, playing in front of whoever is in net. All year it's been pretty much somebody different from month to month, and the Playoffs have been no different; and we feel comfortable with Leights in net, as he probably feels comfortable stepping into a situation that obviously wasn't the easiest.

Q. You guys have faced more adversity than most teams heading into the Final with the slow start and all the injuries and all that. Can you put that in perspective for us and what the trip means when you think back to what the season could have been? JEFF CARTER: Could you start over, please (laughing)?

Q. All the adversity you guys went through, the slow start, the coaching change, the goalie injuries that you already brought up, could you sort of put that in perspective what that means heading into the Final? JEFF CARTER: Yeah, it's been a long year. A lot of things have happened. Like you said, injuries, coaching changes, all of the above; I think you really learn from those. It builds character. You just keep rolling with it. We have a group of guys in that room that no matter what happens, they never give up. I think we've seen that come to the forefront in these Playoffs here. It's a pretty amazing thing to be a part of.

Q. Just a couple years ago, you and Chicago were both struggling, went through some tough years. Where do you see yourselves in terms of where they are? I think a lot of people expected them to be here, but maybe not you guys, at least during the season. How do you stack up against them? Do you consider yourselves underdogs? MIKE RICHARDS: I don't consider us underdogs. I know what this group is capable of, and how they're capable of playing. Obviously, our year wasn't the same as theirs with the whirlwind and the ups and downs and the roller coaster that we went on this year. But, like you said, a couple years ago I think we kind of started at the same position. They drafted our players, they drafted Jeff and I both. I think, overall, we have a similar team, a lot of depth, good defense, goaltending that we trust. If you look on paper, I think it's a similar lineup on both sides.

Q. Obviously, this year's been very strange, but even stranger that you come back and find yourself on this line that's playing so well. You've only played together a couple games and you actually enter the Stanley Cup Finals getting better every game. Is that part of how strange this has been? JEFF CARTER: Yeah, strange is, I guess, a good word. When I got the call today, I got the chance to come back. I just worked hard to get in shape. I didn't know what my role was going to be like on the team getting back because things were going so well. It's obviously good to play with Richie and Gags, makes it easier for myself. I feel like every day I've gotten better. And the last two games I think our line has really built, and I thought we were pretty solid today, so hopefully we can just keep going.

Q. This team has been so strong and so consistent in the second period through this whole Playoffs. How important has that been for you, and why do you think that is? MIKE RICHARDS: I don't have an answer. I wish I did for the effort in the second period. I don't know why it is, but it obviously helped us out today; and in the end, I guess, got us the victory. But I'm not too sure why it is; but as games go on, I think we've been getting better. As the number of games have gone on, I think we've gotten better too. We just go out there and play consistent, and keep the shifts short and roll them through. When we get in trouble, we turn pucks over. So I think in the second period we did a good job just getting the puck in deep and cycling them.

Q. Five years ago both of you got your feet wet as pros by winning the Calder Cup in this building in front of a crowd very much like the crowd here tonight. Is there anything that you brought from that experience that you think is going to help you to this experience? JEFF CARTER: You're on a roll, man (smiling). MIKE RICHARDS: I don't know. The city, obviously, has welcomed us since we've been here. It was a long time ago, so it's tough to kind of draw from there. But we know what to expect every time we play a game in here. The crowd is always loud, supporting us, and behind us. Especially in this Playoff run, I think they've given us more of a push. We've come into games and known what to expect, and they've been behind us too. So it's a building that we feel comfortable playing in and expect to play well here every time we touch the ice. They're a big part of it, the fans are a big part of it, and the energy that they bring to the game.

Montreal Coach Jacques Martin after being eliminated by the Flyers

Q. With all the rallying you guys had to do in the first two rounds, did you guys just run out of gas at this point? COACH MARTIN: Well, I don't know if we ran out of gas. I think I give credit to the Flyers. They had a good Series. They played well defensively. They've got some people back; I think that helped them. You know, I think we battled hard, but we just weren't able to score enough goals.

Q. The power play was a big problem in this Series. I mean, you had a hard time scoring goals on the power play? COACH MARTIN: (Answered in French).

Q. You came out strong the first period taking the lead. What do you think the turning point of the game was? COACH MARTIN: Well, probably a couple of breakdowns. I thought we came out real strong with some good opportunities in the first period. You know, their shorthanded goals got them back in the game. In the second period, we came out hard again, and spent some time in their zone. A couple of mental lapse or mistakes, and they were able to capitalize. They've got people that can capitalize.

Q. How much do you think Carter and Laperriere changed the momentum of the Series after they returned? COACH MARTIN: It helped. You get two players, especially an individual like Carter who is a premier player. But, they played well. I give them credit. But at the same time, I think we just didn't score enough. That was the difference; and the special teams were the difference in the game.

Q. Did you need when you talked about you didn't score enough goals did you need more presence in front of the net? Was that something that you were looking for that you didn't get in the Series to help create some of those goals you were talking about? COACH MARTIN: Well, there was a presence in front of the net. I don't know, I just think that we didn't the Game 1, we didn't play well. But I thought Game 2, first period we came out. Their goalie made some good saves, and then Game 2 as our game. We just didn't finish; we had some good opportunities and we didn't finish.

Stanley Cup Finals times, dates, networks are set

The National Hockey League announced today the schedule for the 2010 Stanley Cup Final between the Western Conference champion Chicago Blackhawks and the Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia Flyers.

Based on their superior regular-season performance, the Blackhawks will host Games One and Two of the Stanley Cup Final, as well as Games Five and Seven, if necessary. Games Three and Four will be in Philadelphia, as well as game Six, if necessary.

NBC will telecast Games One and Two and, if necessary, Games Five through Seven of the best-of-seven series in the U.S., while VERSUS will broadcast Games Three and Four. In Canada, CBC and RDS will provide coverage for the entire series. All games also will be carried on Sirius XM Satellite Radio.

NHL Network, the League's 24-hour, all-access pass to the most comprehensive hockey coverage, will feature special programming surrounding the Stanley Cup Final. NHL.com will continue to provide extensive digital coverage.

Flyers look to close out Canadiens

PHILADELPHIA | The Flyers have never lost a playoff series after leading it two games to none, and the 2-0 Eastern Conference Finals series edge they held on the Montreal Canadiens has swelled to a 3-1 lead.

The Flyers have Le Habs on the brink of elimination, with the promise of the Chicago Blackhawks awating the series winner in the Stanley Cup FInals.

Flyers goalie Michael Leighton is the first goalie in team history to record three shutouts in a single series. The Flyers have earned five shutouts this playoffs, tying the team record of five set in the 1975 Stanley Cup winning season with Hall of Famer Bernie Parent getting each of of the shutouts.

Heading into Game 5, Mike Richards and Danny Briere led the team in scoring with 18 points each, while SImon Gagne had points in seven of the eight games he has played since returning from a foot injury in Game 4 of the Boston series.

There was little doubt the Flyers wanted to close out the series on Monday night and not let the Canadiens gain any momentum going back home for Game 6, and back here for a possible Game 7. “It would be pretty amazing,” Flyers winger Claude Giroux said following the morning skate before Game 5. “I think the crowd would love it. I’m pretty sure they’re excited for [Game 5]. If we can finish the series [Monday night], it’s going to be huge. Chicago just finished the [Western Conference Finals], so we’re going to do everything we can to win tonight and not give them a chance to come back in the series.” Flyers fans have not gotten to witness the team finish a series with a win at home lately. The last time they closed out a playoff series with a win at home came during the 2004 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against New Jersey. “Yeah, it would be nice to have it happen here,” Flyers captain Mike Richards said after the morning skate. “The fans here deserve it for sticking behind us through the whirlwind of a season that we just had. It would be nice to play well enough to wrap it up and get that last win to move on, obviously.”

Philadelphia rolls out four strong lines that keep coming and coming at you. They’re reminiscent of the New Jersey Devils, who won three Stanley Cups between 1995 and 2003. Of course, the Devils relied heavily upon All-World goalie Martin Brodeur during that span, but it was their relentless rolling of lines, from the top line through the checkers, that wore teams down. New Jersey, Boston and now Montreal have not been able to stand up to the relentless pressure generated by the Flyers forward lines. Toss in defenseman Chris Pronger, Kimmo Timonen, Matt Carle and Braydon Coburn, and you have two pair of defensemen playing well over a period each. The combination has given the Flyers an advantage on every key matchup thus far in the playoffs. While the Flyers don’t have a goalie the proven caliber of a Brodeur, they have a surprise in Leighton, a journeyman career backup who is the first Flyers goalie in history to record three shutouts in a single playoff series. In Games 1 and 2, he tied legendary Bernie Parent to become one of two goalies to record back-to-back shutouts in the same

HIGH SCHOOL JUNIOR WITH LEHIGH VALLEY ROOTS STUNS GOLF WORLD

Jordan Spieth, the 16-year-old amateur who is rocking the golf world this weekend near Dallas, is the son of Saucon Valley High School graduates Shawn and Christine (Julius) Spieth.

Jordan stands at 6-under par and tied for seventh place entering today's final round of the HP Byron Nelson Championship in Irving, Texas, an official PGA Tour stop. A high school junior, Spieth was born and raised in Dallas and has committed to play golf at the University of Texas.

UPDATE: Spieth shot a 2-over par 72 today to finish at 4-under for the tournament. At one point, he was 7-under par and four shots off the lead, but he bogeyed the 13th hole and double-bogeyed the 15th hole.

Spieth's parents played basketball at Saucon Valley. His dad played baseball at Lehigh University and his mom played basketball at Moravian College. Jordan attends Jesuit College Prep School in Dallas. Jordan's grandfather is Don Spieth, former conductor of the Lehigh Valley Chamber Orchestra, who still lives in the Valley.

Jordan, who won the U.S. Junior Amateur last July, tees off at 12:54 p.m. Eastern time today, paired with former U.S. Open winner Corey Pavin, who also is at 6-under par. Jason Day at 12-under leads the field, which also includes Kenny Perry (7-under) and Sean O'Hair (6-under). Among the golfers trailing Spieth are Scott Verplank, Justin Leonard, Dustin Johnson, Hunter Mahan, Stewart Cink and J.B. Holmes.

Television coverage today begins at 3 p.m. Eastern on CBS.

Spieth told the Dallas Morning News that he has an outside chance to win today.

"I guess I'm going against everyone's odds," Spieth told the Morning News. "No one had really expected me to make the cut, except for a few people. But you know what? I came out here to win a tournament, and I've got an outside chance."

"Sandgate" a sad turn for Flyers/Habs series

In this day and age, you're used to athletes doing what they can to hold an advantage on the ice, on the field or on the court. But during the second period of Philadelphia's 3-0 shutout of the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday, an NBC report that "sand or some other foreign substance" had been spilled in the hallway leading to the Flyers' locker room at the Bell Centre was one of the more ludicrous instances of cheating to find its way to the headlines.

Not only could such a stunt cause serious injury to a player, to see a professional organization (such as the Montreal Canadiens) resort to such behavior tarnishes the game of hockey as much as sand can tarnish the bottom of a skate blade.

To their credit, no Flyers player or coach would even confirm the incident or suggest anyone in the Canadiens' organization was somehow to blame. They wouldn't point fingers despite the fact that numerous players were not only slipping and falling (and flailing around the ice), but actually forced to leave the game for periods of time to have their skates worked on.

Flyers captain Mike Richards seemed to be most affected, having to leave the ice at least three times during the game. Kimmo Timonen went off at least twice, and Scott Hartnell, Claude Giroux and Darroll Powe also missed shifts. The problem got so bad that the Flyers' staff laid down towels in the hallway to prevent the mysterious substance from becoming a bigger nuisance than it already was.

“I think it was five times that I had to get my skates sharpened tonight, which is obviously a bit much,” Richards told the media. “I’m not sure (what happened). I didn't check the carpet for (sand).”

Reports from the Flyers' locker room quote assistant equipment manager Harry Bricker as saying that the substance on the floor was "a little too big for being sand pellets," though he didn't offer a theory as to what else it would be.

The bottom line is that it doesn't matter what it was, but how it got there. Because unless the maps are wrong and a beach does exist any closer than 180+ miles from the Bell Centre, it was obviously an intentional act that could have had serious repercussions for the players on the ice.

If the league fails to act, it will send a message that this kind of thing is not only tolerated, but acceptable. It will also leave a black mark on the game a lot bigger than a sand pellet -- sad on all counts when the most coveted trophy in sports suddenly becomes secondary to what's going on off the ice.

Unlike past, a pack of Flyers are attacking offensively

Flyers’ fans remember fondly how dominating center Keith Primeau was in the 2003-04 playoffs when he carried the team to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals, just one win away from playing for the Stanley Cup.

Primeau was like a bull, plowing through defenses and scoring huge goals, including three game winners and one that tied Game 6 with less than two minutes to go in regulation. The Flyers, of course, ended up winning that game against the Tampa Bay Lightning in overtime.

Primeau, the captain at the time, finished the run with nine goals and seven assists (16 points) in 18 games, cementing his reputation as a clutch playoff performer.

His performance was so amazing that former NHLer and current radio broadcaster Phil Esposito reportedly told Primeau during a radio interview in 2007 that “During the ‘04 playoffs when you and the Flyers took the Lightning to seven games, you were the most dominating player I ever saw. More than Orr, Howe, Gretzky, or anyone.”

So why is this relevant now?

Because there are three – count ‘em three – Flyers who are playing more dominant offensively right now than Primeau did that year.

Danny Briere has nine goals and nine assists in 14 games with four game winners. That’s two more points in four fewer games that Primeau’s incredible post-season performance.

Current captain Mike Richards has five goals (one game winner) and 13 assists, also 18 points in 14 games.

And Simon Gagne has six goals (two game winners) and three assists in only 10 games since returning from a broken toe.

Primeau’s run came with little help. Alexei Zhamnov’s four goals and 10 assists in the 2003-04 postseason were second best. Zhamnov’s totals have already been matched by a fourth Flyer this playoffs – Claude Giroux (six goals, eight assists).

Add all this offensive firepower to a steady defense and quality goaltending from Michael Leighton and this has the making for a run that could make history beyond the improbable comebacks in the Boston series.

Flyers-Canadiens about to battle in Game 2

Game 2 of the Eastern Conference FInals is about a half four from startng, and the big talk is that Flyers center Jeff Carter and and right winger Ian Laperriere have started to skate. Laperriere has been cleared for contact for the first time since taking a puck to the face while blocking a shot in Game 5 of the opening round series against the New Jersey Devils. Carter is recovering from a foot injury suffered during the previous game in that same series.

They won't play tonight. Carter needs to step up his on-ce conditioning, and Laperriere is recovering from a concussion. He wore a "Great Gazoo"-style helmet in practice on Monday morning. If there's one thng Philadelphia fans should have learned about concussions from Eric Lindros and Brian Westbrook, it's that they should not rush back into action. Every day the brain is not subject to jostling is another day of recovery.

-- Michael Leighton has been on fire. The Flyers goalie hasn't given up a goal in 105 minutes, 50 seconds, is 3-0 in the playoffs with a 1.11 goals against average and a .959 save percentage. This is the first playoff experience fo rthe sixth-year pro.

Flyers talk after 6-0 rout of Canadiens

PHILADELPHIA | The pre-game energy was off the charts for Game 1 of the NHL Eastern Conference Finals series between the Flyers and Montreal Canadiens. Flyers chairman Ed Snider has always known how to put on a show, and the pre-game pageantry at the Wachovia Center set off a crowd of 19,927 decked out in orange rooting for their Flyers. With the big board at the Center displaying a video to the old Journey song, “Don’t Stop Believin’ ” that asked eight or nine “What if” questions, like “What if the Flyers didn’t beat the Devils in five games,” and “What if the Flyers didn’t believe they could come back from down 3-0,” and “What if Simon did not return.” The video ended with just two words: “We Believe!” As if Lauren Hart intermixed with the video of Kate Smith singing “God Bless America” didn’t get the crowd roaring to jet-engine levels, then defenseman Braydon Coburn’s first playoff goal just 3:55 into the game did the trick. Check out what the players for both teams had to say after the Flyers 6-0 win over the Canadiens gave them a 1-0 lead in the bsest-of-7 series for the right to play for the Stanley Cup: